Sound and Music - Mission SM3 Detailed Help

The deciBel scale gives an indication of a sound's _____.


 
Definition of the Decibel Scale:
The deciBel scale is the logarithmic scale used to express the intensity of various sounds.


 
The human ear is capable of detecting a wide range of intensities. From the threshold of hearing at 1.0 x 10-12  W/m2to the threshold of pain at 1.0 W/m2, the range of intensities is enormous. Because of the enormous range of intensities that humans can hear, a logarithmic scale is used to express the intensity of a sound. The scale is known as the deciBel scale. It it based on the number of powers of 10 greater that one sound's intensity is relative to the intensity of the threshold of hearing.